William "Skinny" Elijah Smith (1913–1997) was an African American artist who was recognized for exploring Black experiences in his art.
[1] Friend and poet Langston Hughes once described Smith's work as the "humor and pathos of Negro life captured in line and color.
As a result of his father's opposition to his artistic aspirations, Smith left home in 1932, where he learned about the hardships and struggles of everyday life in Cleveland.
[6] Continuing his apprenticeship, Smith attended Saturday morning classes at the Cleveland Museum under the teachings of artist Paul Travis.
[1] In the early 1950s, Smith was hired as a blueprint draftsman in the sign design division at Lockheed Corporation, allowing him to continue to pursue teaching and his own art.
In banks, churches, private homes and concerts in a massive effort to enlighten the public to the expertise of black artists.
[8]In the early 1970s, Smith continued to pursue art by publishing illustrations of subjects from African American history for Cleveland's New Day Press.